How much weed does it take to kill you? With the legalization of marijuana in many states, it would seem that the pass press about the dangers of cannabis are in contradiction to so many states opening-up legalized marijuana use, both medicinally and recreationally. Many of the sensationalized articles geared toward possible marijuana related fatalities defy common sense, especially in light of the absolute plethora of deaths caused by pharmaceuticals, alcohol, tobacco, and even common overdosages H20 (AKA”water”). Upon further examination, not one, not even one death has ever been a result of an overdose of marijuana. The world and the United States is discovering, it’s not Reefer Madness across the land.

Since marijuana is now legal with a doctors prescription, and in some states, “over the counter”; perhaps it should be compared to the more harmless substances that are taken on a daily basis, such as aspirin, for instance. Aspirin is completely harmless, and even a beneficial drug if taken to prevent heart attacks or strokes, right? Wrong. Every year, over 7,600 people die from consumption of aspirin and other non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Additionally, if a statistical analysis were done of every person who was on aspirin for a headache when they committed a murder, aspirin might appear to be a leading cause, but that conclusion would obviously be dismissed as a researcher would search for a more likely common cause.

The fact is, to much of anything is harmful, whether it’s too much sugar (which is the primary cause of death for 71,382 Americans each year), too much alcohol (which causes 110,000 deaths a year) or even died from taking too much water. It is rare, but every year or two a case pops up in the press telling the sad story of a fraternity student, adult, or child that died during a hazing from consuming too much water, thus diluting their electrolytes and causing cardiac arrest. These cases always make the news for their simple weirdness factor. It is far more sensational to read about a freak accident caused by overdose of a perceptibly harmless, or perhaps even necessary substance.

So How Many People Have Actually Died From a Marijuana Overdose? Zero. Absolutely none. Although you can suffer other side effects of the drug, not one person has ever died from consuming marijuana, this may be due to the fact that it is impossible to consume enough THC to die. A 1970’s study on monkeys (not a fan of testing on animals) showed that when injected intravenously with 92 mg/kg THC, they did not die.

Currently the Merk Index lists that the LD50 of TCH for rats is 42mg/kg. This is the amount it would take for half of them to die. Remember that even the most potent bud on the market is roughly 23 percent TCH, so this would be the equivalent of a 150 lb person smoking about a half ounce of weed all at once, or perhaps smoking 5 grams of very potent hash. Any who have tried to do this will know just how difficult it is to accomplish. Basically, it’s impossible. It may, however, be possible to eat this much in this amount of time, but oral doses have a much higher LD50-730 mg/kg. It would take an almost herculean effort to overdose one’s self with THC. It would be much easier to overdose on sugar, or even water.

Of course this is not to say that people never die because of situations surrounding marijuana. Even though alcohol is definitely deadlier on the road than any other drug, including marijuana, marijuana users will want to know how much affects them, how it affects them, and consider caution when taking cannabis, such as when driving a car, operating heavy machinery, or when placed in common sense dangerous situations.